UNICORN ESTATE | Equilibrium | Vinul Miresei | 2018
chardonnay | muscat | rkatsiteli

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Today we are going to review a wine that is talked about a lot since it was released on the local market – Equilibrium Vinul Miresei 2018 by Unicorn Estate. This wine is a blend of chardonnay, muscat and rkatsiteli grape varieties, where rkatsiteli forms the main body and structure, muscat adds up-front richness and brings floral notes to the foreground, while chardonnay rounds and smoothens the final blend. The grapes are sourced from the vineyards in the Codru region, famous for its white wines. That said, without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
concentration: deep
color: yellow
clarity: clear
hue/rim: golden

//Olfactory
intensity: rich
fruit profile: sweet fruits
__sweet fruits: quince | apple | dried quince | dried apple
fruit character: overripe | dried

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | herbal | sweet | other
__floral: marguerite daisy
__herbal: meadow | pear leaf | hay | straw grass
__sweet: honey | quince jam
__other: raisins | walnuts | hints of oxidation
__wood: none

//Palate
sweetness: off dry
acidity: high
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: med(-)
__grip: green
body: rough | medium
balance: fair
__dominant: acidity | alcohol
complexity: simple

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits
fruit character: overripe | dried
non fruit: herbal | other
finish: medium
aftertaste: seedy-rough

//Scoring
UNICORN ESTATE | Equilibrium | Vinul Miresei | 2018
variety: chardonnay | muscat | rkatsiteli
country: Moldova
region: Codru
rating: 89.4

//Conclusion
maturity: past its prime | on the decline
verdict: fair | not bad
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This is definitely a fair wine of Moldova and with a total of 89.4 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a wine that is already past its prime form – one that has started its inevitable decline, thus we do recommend to drink it now or in the next couple of months as it is not worth further ageing. The wine tastes tart, slightly rough and angular, with a nuanced fruity-herbal accent and some subtle notes of oxidation. It feels round and appealing though, with overwhelming acidity and some nuanced alcoholic burn on the mouthfeel, which makes it taste a bit off-balance. Overall this is a quite aromatic white blend, vinified in a style that is closer to an orange wine than a white one. This is a wine that requires food, this is why we would recommend to pair it with seafood or Asian dishes, like for example salmon & sweet potato traybake or chicken rice balls & broth, as the rough tannins and high alcohol content in the wine will be countered nicely by the spiciness and natural flavour of the food. Cheers!

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.